1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cooking devices, and, more particularly, to a cooking device for traditional tacos.
2. Description of the Related Art
Americans, living in the most culturally diverse country in the world, are blessed by having their foods derived from a wide variety of ethnic origins. Among the most popular of these food dishes are those of Mexican cuisine. These dishes offer a multitude of food selections and are available in establishments that range from fast-food to finer dining to preparation in the home.
The most popular of these dishes, as far as Americans are concerned, is the taco. However, authentic preparation of the taco has been lost in its evolution in our society. Conventional tacos, such as those typically served in America today, are prepared by placing the meat inside a precooked circular corn tortilla, folded in an U-shape.
However, the traditional taco tortilla was fried with the taco meat inside the shell. As a result, the taste of the traditional taco has, so to speak, been "lost in the translation." Accordingly, there is a need to provide a means by which Americans can experience the traditional taco taste.
In the related art, several patents disclose handled devices that can be used to cook a single taco shell by immersing the shell in a deep fryer. These include U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,887, issued in the name of Childress, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 249,219, issued in the name of Stence, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 289,958, issued in the name of Callender and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 326,592, issued in the name of Denton.
However, none of these anticipate cooking the shells with the meat inside, nor do they provide a means for containing the meat inside the shell.
Several patents disclose rack-like devices that can be used to cook a plurality of taco shells by frying or baking. However, none of these anticipate cooking the shells with the meat inside, nor do they provide a means for containing the meat inside the shell. These include U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,502, issued in the name of Murdock, U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,704, issued in the name of Huston, U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,330, issued in the name of Mooney, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,245, issued in the name of Baze, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 274,494, issued in the name of Bonine and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 275,722, issued in the name of Bonine.
Several patents disclose machines that automatically cook a plurality of taco shells by frying. These include U.S. Pat. No. 2,570,374, issued in the name of Pompa and U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,160, issued in the name of Stickle.
However, none of these anticipate cooking the shells with the meat inside, nor do they provide a means for containing the meat inside the shell.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems cited above.